Trump Leads Biden to Make a Statement That Will Likely Cost Him the Election

By Nick Arama | 11:30 AM on October 23, 2020

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As my colleague Joe Cunningham wrote last night, President Donald Trump creamed Joe Biden during the debate.

Trump was principled, he was prepared, he nailed Biden on a number of issues but he also let Biden hang himself.

There was one exchange where Trump going after him led Biden into a major mistake, where Biden admitted yes, he wanted to do away with the oil industry.

“Would you close down the oil industry?” Trump asked Biden.

“I would transition from the oil industry, yes,” Biden replied.

“Why would you do that?” Welker asked.

“Because the oil industry pollutes significantly,” Biden explained.

Biden said he would stop giving them federal subsidies.

Trump highlighted it for voters. “That’s maybe the biggest statement in terms of business … because basically what he said is he is going to destroy the oil industry. Will you remember that, Texas? Will you remember that Pennsylvania, Oklahoma?”

You could see Trump’s face, he knew that Biden had just committed electoral suicide with that remark, you could see him thinking, “I just won Pennsylvania with that remark.” Even the moderator Kristen Welker, couldn’t quite believe that Biden went there and actually said it.

Trump led Biden into basically denouncing all fossil fuels which is smart for a PA play.

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) October 23, 2020

“I would transition from the oil,industry, yes” says Joe Biden. Unforced error and Joe knows it.

— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) October 23, 2020

Holy cow…Biden just said he kill the oil industry. That is a television commercial…TX,PA, OH, ND, SD, AK, etc. #Debates2020

— Mark Meckler (@MarkMeckler) October 23, 2020

“I would transition from the oil industry” is going to be in a lot of ads in the next few days

— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) October 23, 2020

“I’m going to end the oil industry.” – Joe Biden. Hello, Pennsylvania? Hello, Texas?

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 23, 2020

A NY Times correspondent even postulated it would hurt other Democrats running in energy states.

Biden's answer on the oil industry may not matter much to his prospects, but it's going to put Dems trying to win in energy-heavy states/districts in a spot

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) October 23, 2020

Folks in Pennsylvania and other energy states aren’t going to go for that. That and Biden’s promise to raise taxes would crush the economy, just as it’s coming back.

On top of that all, Biden also denied that he had ever said he wanted to ban fracking or fossil fuels which of course he has said in the past. But Trump dropped him with that as well.